On June 20th, 2026, the UCL-Lancet Commission on Migration and Health published a review in The Lancet with the aim of summarising the state of progress since the Commission’s 2018 global report.
The review finds that progress towards protecting the health of refugees and migrants remains too slow, even as migration and forced displacement continue to rise. Drawing lessons from the COVID-19 pandemic and the response to the war in Ukraine, the authors show that inclusive health policies can be introduced rapidly when backed by political will. The Review renews calls to embed health across migration and displacement policies, strengthen ethical and privacy-protecting data systems, expand research on the health impacts of climate change, and address the political factors shaping access to care—while upholding the rights, dignity, and contributions of people on the move.
Abubakar I, Tellez D, Aldridge R et al. The UCL–Lancet Commission on Migration and Health: review of the state of progress The Lancet, 407, 2554-2576
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Figure 1 Trends in overall migrant numbers and forcibly displaced people
(A) International migration stock by destination country income level, 2000–25. Data are from UN Population Data.2 (B) Global trends in forcibly displaced people, 2004–23. Data are from the UN High Commissioner for Refugees.3 (C) Forcibly displaced people worldwide as a percentage of the world’s population, 2000–24. Data are from the UN High Commissioner for Refugees Population Statistics Database.3
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Figure 2 Key issues in migration and health
Forecasted growth for most of the world, especially member countries of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development forum, shows migration is the only probable solution to declining populations (see figure 3 for data on Europe, the world, and sub-Saharan Africa). The forecasted dependency ratio (ie, the ratio of children [aged 0–14 years] and older people [aged ≥65 years] to the working-age population [aged 15–64 years]) will worsen globally and in Europe over the next 26 years, with implications for economies and health systems. Such analysis suggests that the long-term impact of these demographic changes will amplify the effects of migration on global health, wellbeing, and human prosperity.91 Although migration of labour to wealthier economies will likely improve the wealth and health of these countries, emigration from poorer countries, especially in states facing ageing, will have a detrimental effect.
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Figure 3 Trends in net migration and population growth
(A) Net migration and natural population change in the UK, Canada, Norway, Switzerland, the USA, and the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development EU nations. Data are from UN Population Data.2 (B) Dependency ratio (ie, the ratio of children [aged 0–14 years] and older people [aged ≥65 years] to the working-age population [aged 15–64 years]) in Europe, sub-Saharan Africa, and worldwide over the next three decades. The dashed line indicates the point at which data transition from observed data to projected estimates.
